Single Atom Storage - 500x denser then commercial disk drives

[Hunt3rForce]

Netherlands based research group demonstrates the possibility of single atom data storage.

C&EN Newsletter Article by Stu Borman

Gizmodo Article by George Dvorsky

Quote

By depositing chlorine atoms on a copper surface, the researchers created a rewritable data-storage system that uses single atoms and the spaces between them to represent the 1’s and 0’s of data bits. -C&en

 

The concept of data storage on the nano scale is nothing new, and was discussed in the late fifties by Richard Feyman, however technology has only recently progressed to experimentally perform and validate this concept. PDF of Richard Feyman Lecture discussing Atom Encoded Storage

 

So What? The method devised allows for a massive decrease in the size required to store data. Over the past century various forms and improvements have been made to data storage, History of Data Storage -Techquickie, and this nano technology could have much larger implications towards the future of commercial data storage.

Quote

The memory device stores about 500 terabits per square inch—about 500 times greater density than today’s commercial hard disks. That would make it possible to store the entire contents of the U.S. Library of Congress in a cube 100 μm wide, the size of a sand grain. -C&en

Current data storage is primarily limited to Solid State and Hard Disk Drives, each require a minimum physical size to each point of data, effectively establishing a limit to how small the data storage can progress. The method devised utilizes individual atoms of chlorine deposited onto a copper surface.

Using the needle of a scanning tunnelling microscope the atoms can be shuffled around, and by doing so filled or empty positions can be established due to the presence or lack there of chlorine. This in turn can be interpreted as a 1 or 0, which can be strung together to form bits, and larger forms of data such as letters.

 

Within the spoiler below is a youtube video describing the storage method posted by Sander Otte of Delft University

Spoiler

 

 

The researchers have already achieved actual data storage by recording Richard Feyman's lecture using this method in a roughly 100nm sized plate featuring several 64-bit blocks representing several characters. However the technology as it stands now is not "production ready". The device requires an operating temperature of 77Kelvin (-196Celsius), as opposed to previous potential devices which required a temperature 10Kelvin (-263Celsius), to ensure the device remains stable.

[themctipers]

How fast is it?

 

[themaniac]

Just now, themctipers said:

How fast is it?

 

it goes at the fast fast speed of .00000000000000000000000000000001 bits per second

[themctipers]

Just now, themaniac said:

it goes at the fast fast speed of .00000000000000000000000000000001 bits per second

Shut up and take my money

better boot up a fresh copy of Windows 10 faster than my grandmas computer. She already boots it in 5 seconds and mine on a fresh install on a 850 Evo takes 10 seconds 

[themaniac]

Just now, themctipers said:

Shut up and take my money

better boot up a fresh copy of Windows 10 faster than my grandmas computer. She already boots it in 5 seconds and mine on a fresh install on a 850 Evo takes 10 seconds 

that will be 2 billion USD for each bit

[themctipers]

Just now, themaniac said:

that will be 2 billion USD for each bit

Shit I'm in Canada 

 

 

shut up and take my iPhone for this

[themaniac]

Just now, themctipers said:

Shit I'm in Canada 

 

 

shut up and take my iPhone for this

in CAD that will be 8 billion CAD per bit

[themctipers]

Just now, themaniac said:

in CAD that will be 8 billion CAD per bit

16

dont forget tax

[Thony]

5 minutes ago, themctipers said:

How fast is it?

 

Encoding the data takes a week. Rewriting the data takes around 2 hours.... Paul and Kyle talked about it on their live stream.

[themaniac]

Just now, themctipers said:

16

dont forget tax

this is under the table, there is no tax

[themctipers]

Just now, Thony said:

Encoding the data takes a week. Rewriting the data takes around 2 hours.... Paul and Kyle talked about it on their live stream.

Read speeds?

[Thony]

4 minutes ago, themctipers said:

Read speeds?

Dont know but only amazing thing about this is the data density  and btw the "drive" must be in vacuum in LN2 temps  so dont even think about it until 2050.

[themctipers]

Just now, Thony said:

Dont know but only amazing thing about this is the data density  and btw the "drive" must be in vacuum in LN2 temps  so dont even think about it until 2050.

Damn, by that time I would be.. Like 47

 

Well, by 2020 I plan on getting an i7 6900x and 2035 I plan on getting a GT 1930. GT 1930 > GTX 1080ti  

[CostcoSamples]

Sounds like a neat idea, but pretty damn useless.  Hope somebody figures out how to make it not suck.

[Thony]

Just now, themctipers said:

Damn, by that time I would be.. Like 47

 

Well, by 2020 I plan on getting an i7 6900x and 2035 I plan on getting a GT 1930. GT 1930 > GTX 1080ti  

Well in 10 year we might not store data in atoms but im sure we will laugh at 1TB drives just like we laugh at CDs...

[Hunt3rForce]

10 minutes ago, Thony said:

Encoding the data takes a week. Rewriting the data takes around 2 hours.... Paul and Kyle talked about it on their live stream.

 

2 minutes ago, Thony said:

Dont know but only amazing thing about this is the data density  and btw the "drive" must be in vacuum in LN2 temps  so dont even think about it until 2050.

Thank you for mentioning this, I had not managed to find some of the write speeds... I have found and linked a gizmodo article on this at the top of the original post

[Prysin]

Inb4 some stupid facebook group claims new harddrives causes autism due to chemicals inside.

[MrDynamicMan]

5 minutes ago, Prysin said:

Inb4 some stupid facebook group claims new harddrives causes autism due to chemicals inside.

Its the harddrives fault, it installed the porn itself and forced muh baby to watch it!

[Master Disaster]

Retoast

 

 

[Liltrekkie]

Just dont split the atom. I hear till do some explosive things with your data.

[DXMember]

That's pretty cool for a concept

but some things that have to be adressed:
Read/Write speed

Seek time

Reliability

Operational environment

[bigneo]

This could be an interesting thesis to write about.